Barcelona players hint at Messi's departure after Copa del Rey victory

The 2020-21 season is quickly drawing to a close and FC Barcelona players may have just hinted that it will be their captain's final season with the club. After their Copa del Rey victory against Athletic Bilbao, members of the squad took turns taking photos with Messi and the trophy.

The six-time Ballon d'Or winner brought out his signature magical touch in the final, scoring twice as he helped the club thrash their opponents 4-0 in Sevilla. Antoine Griezmann scored the opening goal in the 60th minute before Frenkie de Jong doubled the lead three minutes later. Messi then scored two goals in quick succession to rub salt in Athletic Club's wounds.

His first goal was a combination of creative dribbling and lightning-quick reflexes before finding the back of the net. The second was a decisive instinct driven first-touch strike that went for the jugular.

Messi's contract expires on June 30, and he made it clear last year that he wanted to leave. However, recent developments have given fans hope that he might decide to stay. The Copa del Rey trophy may be seen as an indication that the Argentine may opt to stay in the Camp Nou, but scenes after the final point in the other direction.

While it is typical for a team to take photos with the trophy after a victory, lining up one by one for a chance to take one with their captain is not seen very often. Speculations have emerged that maybe the squad knows something we don't. The question is, do they know that this may be Messi's final trophy with FC Barcelona?

Granted, they still have a chance to win La Liga with Atletico Madrid just 2 points ahead. However, the season is drawing to a close and the players may be trying to get their final moments with the Argentine star immortalised.

Head coach Ronald Koeman and club president Joan Laporta are convinced that Messi will stay. The player himself has said that he will wait until the end of the season to make a decision. In just a matter of weeks, the whole world will find out if the trophy celebration meant something more apart from what it looked like at face value.